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Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn Quotes

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Famous Jon Kabat-Zinn Quotes

“There are always waves on the water. Sometimes they are big, sometimes they are small, and sometimes they are almost imperceptible. The water’s waves are churned up by the winds, which come and go and vary in direction and intensity, just as do the winds of stress and change in our lives, which stir up the waves in our minds.”

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Book:Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
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“But when we start to focus in on what our own mind is up to, for instance, it is not unusual to quickly go unconscious again, to fall back into an automatic-pilot mode of unawareness. These lapses in awareness are frequently caused by an eddy of dissatisfaction with what we are seeing or feeling in that moment, out of which springs a desire for something to be different, for things to change.”

MindDifferentMomentsFeelingsDesireFallFocusSeeingAwarenessSpringInstanceUnconsciousThat MomentUnusualPilotsDissatisfactionFall BackLapsesUnawareness
Book:Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
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“How we see and hold the full range of our experiences in our minds and in our hearts makes an enormous difference in the quality of this journey we are on and what it means to us. It can influence where we go, what happens, what we learn, and how we feel along the way.”

WayFeelsMindHeartMeanHappensDifferencesQualityJourneyInfluenceEnormousRange
Book:Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting
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“Wherever you go, there you are. Whatever you wind up doing, that's what you've wound up doing. Whatever you are thinking right now, that's what's on your mind. Whatever has happened to you, it has already happened. The important question is, "how are you going to handle it?" .... Like it or not, this moment is all we really have to work with.”

ThinkingMindImportantMomentsHappenedWindRight NowWoundsHandleImportant QuestionsThinking Right
Book:Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life
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“When your alarm goes off and you jump out of bed, what is the nature of the mind in that moment? Are you already like, "oh my God," your calendar pops into your mind and you're driven already, or can you take a moment and just lie in bed and just feel your body breathing. And remember, "oh yeah, brand new day and I'm still alive." So, I get out of bed with awareness, brush my teeth with awareness. When you're in the shower next time check and see if you're in the shower.”

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Author:Jon Kabat-Zinn
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“In Asian languages, the word for mind and the word for heart are same. So if you’re not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, you’re not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness towards oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention.”

IfsThinkingWayMindHeartLanguageUnderstandingAttentionCompassionKindnessWiseMindfulnessOneselfHearingAsianWovenAffectionateKindness And Compassion
Author:Jon Kabat-Zinn
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“Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as the capacity of your mind to be calm and stable. Without calmness, the mirror of mindfulness will have an agitated and choppy surface and will not be able to reflect things with any accuracy.”

MindAblePracticeMindfulnessCapacityMirrorsCalmSurfaceConcentrationStableCalmnessAccuracyRobustCornerstonesCalming
Book:Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
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“When people say "Let it go," what they really mean is "Get over it," and that's not a helpful thing to say. It's not a matter of letting go - you would if you could. Instead of "Let it go," we should probably say "Let it be"; this recognizes that the mind won't let go and the problem may not go away, and it allows you to form a healthier relationship with what's bothering you.”

PeopleIfsShouldMindMayMeanMatterProblemFormLetting GoBotherHelpfulOver ItGoing AwayGet OverLet It GoReally MeanBothering You
Author:Jon Kabat-Zinn
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“It’s interesting to look at your children as line-in Zen masters who can put their finger on places where you’re resistant, or thinking narrowly, in ways noone else can. You can either lose your mind and your authenticity in the process of reacting to all that stuff, or you can use it as the perfect opportunity to grow and nourish your children by attending to what is deepest and best in them and in yourself.”

ThinkingWayMindLooksChildrenUseOpportunityGrowsStuffProcessLosesLinesPerfectInterestingMastersOur ChildrenFingersAuthenticityYour ChildrenReactingAttendingZen Master
Author:Jon Kabat-Zinn
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“Sometimes shutting off the sound on the television can allow you to actually watch the game and take it in in an entirely different and more direct way - a first-order, first-person experience - rather than filtered through the mind of another.”

WayMindFirstsPersonsDifferentSometimesOrderGamesSoundWatchesTelevisionDirectFirst Person
Book:Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment—and Your Life
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