If you have ever wondered about meditaion and its possible
benefits to your hectic life, but have been put off
by its mystical, religious or paranormal associations
in the popular culture, author Jon Kabat-Zin offers a
gentle, secular introduction to the art of Being Here Now.
"Now" is the present moment in which, with mindfulness, we
can act with volition and not automaticity; to not simply
react robotically, but break the cause-and-effect chain of
external and internal stimuli. "Now" is where we can become
authentically ourselves, and marshal our full potential.
But focusing in the "Now", being aware without reacting,
without abstractly analyzing, takes practice. Kabat-Zin
shows us how to find our "Now" in the sensation of our
breathing, either during meditation practice or in a
mindful pause just before a meal. Then he shows us how
to carry mindfulnes into the activity of our daily lives,
so that we may find ourselves naturally proceding along
"The Way". Throughout, Kabat-Zin's narrative and personal
references are totally credible, evoking a surprisingly
accessible intimacy with the reader. You will enjoy and
benefit from this book even if you never sit on a pillow
to meditate, but you will gain even more if you do.