Jon Kabat-Zinn – The Deeper Dimensions of Mindfulness
Jon Kabat-Zinn – The Deeper Dimensions of Mindfulness
Jon Kabat-Zinn is a Professor of Medicine Emeritus, mindfulness teacher, bestselling author and founder of the groundbreaking Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. He is the founding Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Jon has received numerous awards for his work on MBSR such as the Interface Foundation Career Achievement Award and the New York Open Center’s 10th Year Anniversary Achievement in Medicine and Health Award in 1994; the Art, Science and Soul of Healing Award from the Institute of Health and Healing, California Pacific Medical Center in 1998; the 2nd Trailblazer Award for pioneering work in the field of integrative medicine by the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in 2001; the Distinguished Friend Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in 2005; and, an Inaugural Pioneer in Integrative Medicine Award from the Bravewell Philanthropic Collaborative for Integrative Medicine in 2007. Jon has been a pioneer in making mindfulness mainstream.
In this interview Jon touches in on the deeper dimensions of mindfulness practice and the ‘self realisation’ that unfolds as a result of the practice. He clears up some common misconceptions about mindfulness and invites us to know for ourselves the sacredness that is inherent in this present moment (If we’ll only wake up to it).
He also answers the question “Is there a right way to practice” or a “right tradition” and gives wise advice on dealing with one of the biggest challenges in awakening.
Listen to Jon Kabat-Zinn here
Show Notes
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Here is a link to all of Jon’s books
You can find out more about the Center For Mindfulness here
A link to Eckhart Tolle’s Book ‘The Power of Now’
Check out Melli’s blog, events and retreats at MrsMindfulness.com
Audio
Video
Transcript
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Wow! Very truthful and wonderful talk. Thank you for arranging all of these talks and inquiry. Bless you for helping all of us.
Thank you Melli And Matt for your work and this experience with some wonderful people.
Blessings
Carmen
I just experienced the livestream with my one year old daughter. Thank you Melli, thank you Jon. Jon, since i read A Mindful Way Through Depression and you invited me to the mindfulness for schools conference in London, I met Cindy Cooper…every moment has led to this one. All imperfectly perfect. Well every moment has been an adventure. What an interesting event the livestream was. Like all of life every moment was a meditation, the baby, the ads. Beautiful.
Melli and Matt and the entire Mindfulness Summit Team: thank you so much for your tireless effort in making the Summit a reality – I can’t begin to imagine how much of your time and energy went into making this event such a success. I really enjoyed Jon Kabat-Zinn’s talk and was so excited for the live meditation. When all the technical difficulties started, I noticed that I reacted the way I often do when things don’t go my way: I got so frustrated that I started swearing like a sailor (so glad I live alone!) and then started banging on keys to get rid of the ads and turn up the volume. Finally, I started laughing at myself, observed my frustration, and just allowed the situation to be as it was. Quite a lesson in accepting what comes up! As it turned out, I was able to be part of this amazing meditation and am forever grateful to have had this experience. I truly hope that we will have many more opportunities like this to connect with each other. Peace and Love – Vicki
Laughing at ourselves is the best. I did the same (excepting the swearing part) and kept meditating during the technical issues and it was amazing anyway! A lotus for everybody!
Thank you so much Mellie, Matt, all the speakers, all the global community of listeners. This has been a wonderful month where technology has supported us to be in community with each other. I’ve grown quite attached to you Mellie…. I know I know attachments ????????… At least im aware ????… Love and blessings to all. X
Melli,
I can’t even imagine all the work involved in putting this entire month together. This has been a truly inspirational month. Thank you SO much! I hope it has been rewarding for you as well. With gratitude.
Thank you for this wonderful wonderful 31 days!
Love and peace to all. I bow to us. Blessings and gratitude to Mellie for bringing this together.
Thank you to all those who participated in this wonderful event, to all who gave their time to the betterment of themselves , their communities and this planet as a whole. I am deeply touched by the number of people who chose to sign up.
May we continuously remember to bring mindfulness into our lives, through the happy times and especially the not so happy times.
Mindfulness and meditation has changed my life profoundly, may each and everyone find this out for themselves.
Much gratitude Melli and all those who helped you in putting this event together.
Thank you Melli and team! What an incredible month. I’m sure it will be life-changing for me. And a huge thank you to Jon Kabat-Zinn for giving us so much. What a fantastic finish to the Summit. I feel so blessed and honored to have finally heard him “live”.
Like others have said, at the beginning of the month, I would’ve been annoyed by the loud ads during the meditation. Instead, I found the situation quite amusing, especially seeing JKZ so deeply involved in the practice, while an ongoing conversation was happening in the social stream feed! But I am looking forward to another chance at it, via your future recording.
Looking forward to experiencing more of your work!
To Melli..Matt..and every single one of the wonderful teachers who spoke at in this summit…and to the uplifting and warm community of mindful people who shared this amazing experience..thank you and greetings from Egypt
Thank you Meli for this summit. I have managed to tune in most days and have learnt such a lot. I also enjoyed the live stream and did not have the technical problems some people struggled with. I hope this is the start of something bigger. From Cheshire, UK.
Thanks, Melli and Matt.A very well run, interesting, thought provoking 31 days. I am really sad that it is over-but you have given so many amazing resources for us to use “post summit”.
Thank you Melli for hosting such a fabulous Summit. Your gentle energy set a lovely tone for the entire event. And what a gathering of esteemed teachers and practitioners, some of which I was familiar with and others that I was honored to be introduced to. In particular it was a joy to see Vidyamala Burch speaking on video. I am a fellow pain sufferer and recently discovered her writing and work. It was such a pleasure to see her “live.”
Thanks again, Melli for all of your hard work. I hope that you do find some way of continuing this process of teaching mindfulness.
As a newby to Mindfulness Meditation, this has been an extroardinary experience. I am so glad I was a part of this Summit.
Dear Melli- each day of the summit has been extraordinary! Today with Jon and you, I felt such a deep connection. It was the perfect conclusion- just brilliant! So many deep lessons .. Such heartfulness and loving care and kindness.. Such truth.. A journey that continues….with gratitude and love
Thank you again to all. What a wonderful way to close this chapter. I look mindfully forward to the next. ~tj in texas
Thank you Melli for this very valuable Summit! I am a graduate of MBSR Program at UMass Medical School and it was not only my first journey into mindfulness but also the best present that I’ve given to myself. Jon’s books and resources are invaluable. The speakers and practices here have brought me back to appreciating each moment. As a middle school health educator I am able to share with my students as well. I purchased the series to catch up with those that I missed and to revisit as well. Superb! Thank you so much!
Thanks Mellie and Matt for your work to prepare and make possible this wonderful 31 days. I’ve learned much. Thanks to the great community that gathe around this event and thanks to the speaker.
I wonder how this is going to continue from now. All my love and support from Spain
My heart is full of Gratitude! MUITO OBRIGADO! Thank you very much Melli and ALL Speakers! You are fantastic and very important Spiritual Beings on Earth!
Melli, I wish a thousand of petals of light over you! Your face meditating is like an angel and sometimes it helped to focus and go deeper. God protect your journey dear!
My summit is to feel my heart connected with all summiters and all living beings who are suffering and want to be happy!
My sacred respect for all!
I invite you to remember Thich Nhat Hanh who is recovering the health (We love You Thai!)
A big hug and Gratitude to Eckhart Tolle! Thank you So much for the live meditation dear Eckhart and all that you do!
Sincerely,
from Gramado, Brazil
Thank you so much to everyone involved, especially Melli and Matt, all the speakers, and everyone who has shared this journey. I would welcome opportunities to connect more. Thank you so much to Jon Kabat-Zinn for ending such a special month with such warmth and insight always. We can now continue the adventure, our lives our meditations, our lives, bodies, minds, hearts our laboratories. Wishing everyone well.
Thank you. Everything was perfect, including the livestream. No ad breaks here. You have gathered wonderful teachers and asked them all the right questions. I admire and respect what you did.
Live streaming was, as many have observed, very like life with interruptions, technology issues, and varied messages vying for our attention. At the center was Jon with his calm voice creating a living moment of stillness and peace. The event wasn’t “perfect”–it was a gift to us all and I accept it with all the lovingkindness with which he gave it. So grateful for this 31 Days of Mindfulness, and all the efforts of all involved that it represents!! Thanks to all for my forever-changed life.
From France: merci!! 🙂
I’ve waited the last day to thank you otherwise I would have spent my time to thank you during all month 🙂
I just wanted to say that the way you created it is brilliant because each day was an appointment, and actually the fact that it was free only 24 hours was great for me, because I know I would not have been there every day if it had been available all the time. And I like to think it’s a good way to remember the present moment.
That’s why, even if I’m sad that it’s ending, I think wanting it to continue would be refusing the impermanence…
Thank you Melli, just to be 🙂
same feelings here… the format of the summit is what made it work.. brilliant..
What a perfect end to the summit and Jon was so right Melli – the beauty of all of this has come from you. What an achievement! Rock on….
It’s hard to believe it’s only been a month since the start of this Summit. I stumbled upon it after someone posted a link on facebook, and of course didn’t know what to expect. I just thought ‘oh well, might as well try it’. Then, on the 1st of October, I was completely hooked already. Been listening or watching every day and it’s not only been a wonderful time, but also a transformative journey. I’ve learned so much, reignited the spark to have a daily practice again and it’s made me feel like this is really a world-wide movement for presence, kindness and compassion. Then it all culminated in the livestream, which was amazing. I’ve meditated in a group before, but this was something different. Sitting alone on the floor of my apartment in Uppsala, Sweden, I truly felt like we were all part of something bigger, together, though physically apart.
My heartfelt thanks to Melli, Jon, all the fantastic speakers and of course, my fellow participants. We rocked this month!
Thank you so much for the summit, tuned in daily. And live session as well, altough I unfortunately fell asleep sitting during it (it was 11 p.m. here when it started). Great work Mellie, I’m grateful to have been part of this.
I would like to thank You from the bottom of my heart. The journey I was able to begin inspired by this summit is beyond words.
I am so grateful to You, Mellie and Matt, for your work and dedication, and all of the beautiful, thought-and motivation provoking mindfulness experts who shared their time and wisdom with us during this month! This is something which hopefully will grow and develop and evolve day by day in the future as well, for all of us who were blessed enough to be part of this mindfulness miracle!
Lots of love and deepest gratitude – you truly touched and fueled my life with insights and ideas. May you all experience the amazingly good vibes you shared with the world on a daily basis!
And so the begging comes full circle. These 31days have fulfilled my dreams of being one of the many peaceful activators for positive change within humanity. Gratitude flows from my Heart to each person.involved in co creating the first summit and I extend gratitude to everyone who will, in every and any way, co create and contribute to the next. Listening today I felt a delicious idea fall into my imagination and I want to share this vision. How wonderful to have a summit each October. It would be a global gathering with unlimited possibilities to expand and move us to compassion and love. In Aus October is a month given to ‘alcohol free zone’ Sober October! I energetically joined and found the Summit a solid support to keep me on track. I then imagined involving the numerous anonomyus groups, Alzheimer’s association, I prisons, shelters signing in for the next summit. I am encouraged knowing education and political ly inspired folk are already ‘listening’. Melli I know the hundredith monkey syndrome is happening.! The summits has inspired me to renew my Dreaming of believing that humanity will return to its finest contract the creation which is to be in alignment with the lore of the Land and to take our rightful place as custodians to ecology and all species. Walk gently christine engel
Is
Oh my I need to learn to edit! Rereading my post I smiled as I saw mistakes aplenty however I also know the essence of my expression will be felt by you Melli and the team. Had to smile at the Freudian intro. I wrote The beginning has come to an end and ‘somehow’ it became ‘the begging has come to an end! Whatever we are all now at a new beginning and so we all walk gently.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful idea and experience. It has been so inspirational and life changing. Thank you xxx
Thanks very much, Melli! It’s been a great experience. I enjoyed listening to familiar guests as well as the ones I discovered during the summit. I feel blessed and enriched beyond words. I sense deeply, value and honour the sacred nature of the mindfulness practice and I have faith in its inevitable impact, it is being conducive to global change slowly, steadily… So be it and so it is for the highest good of all!
Best wishes to you and your team. Keep up the great work! Namasté!
Thank you so much from the bottom of my mindful awake heart. What I have received from the Summit has been life-changing, literally the jigsaw pieces slotted into place as each Sunmit day reflected my own inner world and where I am at on my own journey. Yet the power I have received I am so sure has been because nearly quarter of a million people have been taking part each day. The healing and the understanding I have felt and I cannot express my gratitude enough to you, your team and every single person who has been part of this month. Thank you, have a wonderful rest of the year and I very much hope to re-connect in the future with you, love Lucy xx
Thank you for this amazing journey, Melli! My heartfelt thanks!! With metta…
Thanks Melli and Matt and all the speakers for sharing your time, knowledge and experience so generously. This has been a true inspiration. From DaleenvanStaden in Cape Town, South Africa.
I want to add my thank yous and deep bows. Wonderful wonderful wonderful
Thank you Melli and everyone who made this enlightening Summit possible. I have enjoyed a lot of the speakers and meditations, including this evening withJon Kabat-Zinn.
Namaste
Johanne, Shrewton, Salisbury, England
Thank you so much Melli and Matt for putting all this together and for the hard worki getting all of these wonderful speakers in the Summit. Thank you so much Jon for the great speech today. It has been a great month for me, it has been a period of awakening and I hope I can continue doing these meditations by myself since it is so wonderful to listen to such inspiring words, it kind of guide us to better off ourselves. So thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart.
I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t get the dreaded adverts during the live stream. It was just perfect for me and so special to hear Jon live, and meditate along with him. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou 🙂
Thank you Melli, from Steve @ Mettatations. Maybe next year I’ll be one of your speakers.
Melli, a sincere thank you for a fabulous retreat and outstanding speakers! Blessings and Gratitude!
Great interview. Jon is amazing. Melli I want to thank you and the speakers for giving your time to us for this treasure. Somebody once told me that now is called the present because it is a gift given to us. This summit has been a present given to us.
This summit has been a blessing. Thanks to Melli and all who gave their valuable time to share their knowledge.
Melli and Team, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting this summit out into the world. I am so grateful to have been a part of it. I have learned so much about what mindfulness is and how to nurture and practice mindfulness. I feel like I have a new lease on life, like I have stepped through a barrier, a blinding, and am now able to see clearer and move more freely and with more authenticity. At least I am learning to be clearer, freer, and more authentic. And that is something I understand now, that it is always about learning, growing, journeying. It isn’t about achieving a desired state or life. Rather, it is about cultivating a love affair with yourself and with life and with all that you and life bring. And when you can do that, you are more able to give of yourself in beautiful ways that benefit others and the planet. Thank you for the beautiful gift you have given to us all. Wow, 2015 has been some remarkable year!
I also want to thank all of the speakers and meditation guides for their time and talents. I am very grateful for the work that you do. I have books by some of you that have and still continue to have a life-changing impact on my life. Thank you!
I also want to thank all of the people who have taken part in this summit. I didn’t read them all, but of those that I did read, I enjoyed reading your comments and partaking in discussions. Best wishes to you all!
If there is a way to keep this learning community going, I would love to be a part of it. I look forward to hearing from you, Melli, about this possibility in the near future.
Namaste.
Thank you for 31 days of pure joy and growth. I never missed a day, and looked forward to this special time. I know you have changed the world for the better.
Thanks so much for this wonderful talk with Jon Kabat-Zinn. I’d like to add that it sure was nice to hear the birds chirping in the background as you both spoke:) This Summit has been a wonderful experience, Melli. Although I wasn’t able to tune in to all talks, I’m feeling grateful for having heard several wonderful interviews. Thanks so much Melli and everyone else who was involved in making this Summit possible.
Melli and Matt – thank you, thank you, thank you – you have touched so many lives.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to have been a part of this 31 day summit. I cannot tell you how perfectly timed this has come into my life. I will so miss our connection, when tomorrow comes. But I will find a way to continue, in a way that works for me. I send my deep appreciation.
thank you from my heart
Thankyou, Thankyou for the opportunity to take part in something so meaningful and special
Although I have met none of you and probably never will, I will miss all of you. What a wonderful month. Melli: brilliant in conception and execution.
Glued to this whole event WORDS fail to express the depth of impact and inspiration it has had on myself and without a doubt many others. But will say, it has truly been a highlight of my life, since it has finally revealed a purpose/direction for it. “Seek and you shall find” – found!! Sincere praise, thanks and blessings to ALL involved in anyway before, during (and after) this whole event.
~Thank you~ so, so much, from the bottom of my heart. As someone else said, the fact each was only available for 24 hours forced me to prioritize, which was such a great teaching in and of itself. I loved hearing from all these different teachers, and learning of new ones that I will continue to check in on. I’ve new ideas for future courses, and feel so happy that there are so many of us around the world of like minds. It gives me hope and helps me not to give up. Thank you ever so much to Melli, Matt, and all the interviewees. What a wonderful October. Bless!