Quotessence
Home / Authors / Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn Quotes

Professor

Filter quotes by topic

AllMindfulnessMeditationMomentsWayLifeIfsAwarenessMindAttentionPracticeFeelsMayMeanThinkingKnowsPeoplePay AttentionPresent MomentAcceptanceBody

Famous Jon Kabat-Zinn Quotes

“The importance of the development of the emotional body is hardly recognized today. We are pretty much left to our own devices to come to full adulthood, whether man or woman. Our elders may have become so denatured themselves from a lack of such nurturance that there is no longer a collective knowledge of how to guide the awakening emotional vitality and authenticity of our young people, our children. Mindfulness may contribute to a reawakening of this ancient wisdom in ourselves and in others.”

PeopleMenMayChildrenBodyTodayYoungLeftEmotionalDevelopmentMindfulnessImportanceOur ChildrenAncientGuidesAwakeningAuthenticityCollectivesDevicesAdulthoodVitalityEldersAncient WisdomCollective Knowledge
Author:Jon Kabat-Zinn
Create image

“Science is now documenting that it's not the objects of meditation that are important, it's the process of paying attention to them - the attending - that actually influences the organism in a whole range of different ways. The brain changes significantly enough to impact thought, emotion, and other biological functions. Today, people recognize that they're not going to find well-being from the outside, or from a pill; they're going to find it by looking inside. All the suffering, stress, and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.”

PeopleImportantDifferentEnoughTodaySufferingRealizingEmotionAttentionBrainMeditationInfluenceStressAddictionPay Attention
Author:Jon Kabat-Zinn
Create image

“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
Create image

“Most of the time, if you're not really paying attention, you're someplace else. So your child might say, "Daddy, I want this," and you might say, "Just a minute, I'm busy." Now that's no big deal-we all get busy, and kids frequently ask for attention. But over your child's entire youth, you may have an enormous number of such moments to be really, fully present, but because you thought you were busy, you didn't see the opportunities these moments presented. . . . People carry around an enormous amount of grief because they missed the little things.”

PeopleIfsWantMayChildrenLittlesMomentsBigsMightKidsAsksOpportunityDealsNumbersGriefAttentionMinutesAwarenessYouthAmountOur ChildrenBusyEnormousPay AttentionYour ChildrenOver YouLittle ThingsDaddyBig Deal
Author:Jon Kabat-Zinn
Create image