Mindfulness for Life: An Interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn
by Jon Kabat-Zinn
What exactly is mindfulness and why has it recently become so popular in the mental health field? Here Jon Kabat-Zinn, leading expert on the topic and the pivotal figure in bringing Buddhist meditation to Western medicine, discusses the essence and foundational principles of mindfulness, inspiring all of us to embrace the “full catastrophe” of life. 
In an era of smartphones, Facebook, and endless distractions, practicing mindfulness is a radical act. Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as purposefully and non-judgmentally paying attention to the present moment, as if your life depended on it. Preoccupied with planning for the future or ruminating about the past, the present moment so often gets completely overlooked, robbing us of the opportunity to be fully, consciously, and responsibly alive. Mindfulness is the antidote to this tendency to sleepwalk through our days, and an invitation to reclaim our lives.

Mindfulness-based therapies have been empirically validated as highly effective for reducing stress and preventing relapse in depression and addictions. Furthermore, research indicates that therapy outcomes are much improved when the therapist practices mindfulness. Whatever your therapeutic approach, cultivating mindfulness will enable you to be more fully present with your clients, while enhancing empathy and strengthening the therapeutic alliance. Whether you’re wanting to cultivate your own awareness of that of your clients, this video will point you in the right direction.

By watching this video, you will be able to:
  • Define mindfulness and understand the significance of practice
  • Explain how mindfulness applies to parenting
  • Describe how mindfulness is used in psychotherapy

What therapists are saying…

"...an interesting and informative introduction to mindfulness for clinicians and students wishing to know more before embarking on the long journey to a deeper understanding."

-- Ruth A. Baer, PhD & Paul J. Geiger, PhD; Reviewed in APA PsycCRITIQUES
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No longer just for meditators or those interested in Buddhism, mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular for anyone who cares about health and wellness, thanks in large part to the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn. As more research is coming out about the mental, physical, and social benefits of practicing mindful awareness, it’s undeniable that this stuff really works! Here is a great opportunity to learn directly from the expert about this simple yet profoundly transformative practice.

If you purchase the CE test version, you will also gain access to two fascinating articles: one by Daniel Siegel about interpersonal neurobiology and the impact of mindfulness on brain functioning, and the other by Tara Brach about mindfulness as a foundation for compassion and wisdom. The video with Kabat-Zinn and these two articles make for a comprehensive and enlightening exploration of the myriad benefits of mindfulness.
 

Length of video: 00:44:00

English subtitles available

Individual ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-336-7

Group ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-337-5

Group ISBN-13 #: 978-1-60124-337-9

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is founding Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is also the founding director of its renowned Stress Reduction Clinic and Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He teaches mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in various venues around the world. He received his Ph.D. in molecular biology from MIT in 1971 in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate, Salvador Luria.

He is the author of numerous scientific papers on the clinical applications of mindfulness in medicine and health care, and of a number of books for the lay public: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (Delta, 1991); Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1994); Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2005); and Arriving at Your Own Door: 108 Lessons in Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2007). He is also co-author, with his wife Myla, of Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting (Hyperion, 1997); and with Williams, Teasdale, and Segal, of The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (Guilford, 2007).

See all Jon Kabat-Zinn videos.
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